Child molestation cases on the rise in Indiana

VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI)- Reports show an increase in child molestation cases across Indiana.

The State Department of Child Services hotline received nearly 250,000 reports in 2017 and the numbers have been on the rise ever since.

News 10 spoke with the Indiana State Police on the subject and they tell us that right now there are several on-going investigations dealing with child abuse.

Sargeant Matt Ames tells us that a good portion of those cases is involved with Vigo County.

"Unfortunately yes we have seen an increase in these types of cases both with the Indiana State Police and speaking with the local police departments as well. Yes, there is definitely an increase in these types of cases that are ongoing at this time," Ames said.

Ames tells us that the police force has intensified their training to deal with cases such as this.

The training includes being partnered with psychologists and forensics where the interviewee would be asked leading questions to help determine the source of the abuse.

The goal is to help these juvenile victims feel comfortable enough to share information about their abuser with hopes to bring it to court.

In addition, they've relied on social media heavily to help determine other contributors to the abuse.

Ames tells us that with these multiple resources, they are determined to lower the numbers.

"We need to be very vigilant in what we are out here doing. We need to be able to communicate with the parents of the victim and also be able to communicate with the victim so that we can get the subject off of the streets so that there is no harm being done to any other children," Ames said.

He also shared with us signs that you should pay attention to if you suspect any unusual behavior with your child.

"If their child's normal activity is very outgoing, wanting to participate in things and always wanting to go see certain individuals and if all of a sudden they become withdrawn, they wanna be alone more, they're not so forthcoming and talking about information that would be a red flag for a parent," Ames said.

If you notice any of these behaviors, click here, for further assistance.